Charles j



C. J. REED.

SPARK GAP MECHANISM.

APPLICATION FILED AUG.8, 1917.

'1 ,309,91 3, Patented July 15, 1919.

CHARLES J. REED, OF GLENSIDE, 1?ENNSYLVANIA.

SPARK-GAP MECHANISM.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July 15, 119119.v

Application filed August 8, 1917. Serial No. 185,113.

To all whom it may concern:

lie it known that I, CHARLES J. REED, a citizen of the United States, residing at (lleuside. in the county of b Iontgomery and State o'l leunsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Spark- (lap Mechanisms, of which the following is a specification.

y invention relates to improvements in spark-gap mechanisms in which electrical contact is completed through a conducting arm or support removably attached at one end to an igniting mechanism and at the other end at right angle to a tube or chamber comprising the spark gap of a high tension electric circuit.

The object of my invention is the provi-,

2 and 3 are plan view ant vertical section res )ectively of one form of my invention; and i Figs. 4- and 5 plan view and vertical section respectively of a modified form.

In the drawings, 1 represents the conducting wire leading from an igniter to a binding post consisting of the usual stud 2 and clamping nut 3. t represents a fixed sparkgap chamber and 5 and (S a binding post and clamping nut thereon, respectively.

The sparlegap mechanism forming my invention comprises a" body 7 of fiber or any other suitable insulating material and two electrical conductors 8 and 9, located on opposite sides of the body 7 and carrying the spark points.

The conductors 8 and 9 are n'eterably made of flat strips of material and may be attached to the support 7 in any suitable Way, as by rivets or pins 18. At the other end, which is preferably widened, the metal is pressed out of the plane of tlrc strip to provide cone shaped pro ectiens l0 and 11 terminating in apexes 12 and 13. The body 7 has an aperture 14 of such size as to receive the cone shaped projections and The apexes 12 and 13 are directly opposite one 4:. The conducting wire 1 may be provided with a perforated lug 17 adapted to be at tached to stud 2 and Jlaniped to the conductor S by clamping nut Instead of making the conductors 8 and 9 and the projections 10 and 11 of one piece, Imay advantageously form the cone shaped elements separately. As shown in Figs. 4t and 5, the elements 20 and 21 are made in the form of disks and shaped by suitable dies to assume the form of cone shaped projections. This modification has the advantage that the projections may be made of nickel or other suitable material offering a comparatively high resistance against deterioration by the are without materially increasing the cost of the device. In order to hold the projections 20 and 21 securely in position, I preferably ream out the aperture 14 at both ends or form recesses in some other suitable manner to receive the projections. Spring arms 22 and Q3 of cheaper material, such as brass. are attached to the body 7 as in the device shown in Figs. 2- and 3 and bear at the other end on the projections 20 and 21 to hold them in place and make good electrical contact therewith.

As shown in this form of device, the support 7 may receive depressions 24 and 25 at opposite ends to reduce the height of the clamping mechanism to a minimum. to avoid projecting parts as much as possible and to make the device as a whole of thin construction.

lVhile I have shown in the drawing only the pr erred form with the conductors extending in opposite directions, I conceive that the same purpose could be accomplished by having the conductors extend at right angles to each other or some other angle instead of in opposite directions.

It is also understood thatinstead 0t having two spark points, one on each conductor, a single spark point could be employed and the opposing conductor could be flat.

The cluiractcristic features of my invention may be given form in various other ways and what is shown, is merely for purposes of illustration.

By the expression sparking relation in another and form the .spark points. The the claims, I mean to convey the idea that a spark point may be-provided on one or both conductors or disks in the aperture 14:.

YVhat I claim is 1. A spark-gap mechanism comprising a body of insulating material having an aperture, and electric conductors extending into said aperture from opposite ends thereof to form a spark gap.

2. A spark-gap mechanism comprising a fiat support having an aperture, electric conductors on opposite sides of the supportformed of fiat stock, and means for electrically insulating said conductors from each other, said conductors being so formed relatively to each other as to establish a sparking relation in said aperture.

, 2-3. A spark-gap mechanism comprising a Hat elongated support having an aperture,

electric conductors on opposite sides of the support formedot' fiat stock, and means for electrically insulating said conductors from each other, said conductors being so formed relatively to each other as to establish a sparking relation,in said aperture.

4. A spark-gap mechanism comprising a flat elongated support of insulating material-having an aperture, and electric conductor-s on oppositesides ot' the support formed of tlat stock and having portions in said aperture in sparking relation.

A. spark-gap mechanism comprising a support having an aperture, electric conductors on opposite sides of said support and across the aperture, one of said conductors having a cone-shaped projection extending into said aperture and means for electrically insulating said conductors from each tending into said aperture.

8. A spark-gap mechanism comprising a fiat elongated support of insulating material having an aperture and electric conductors on opposite sides of said support, one of said conductors having a coneshaped projection extending into said aperture. 9. A spark-gap mechanism comprising a fiat elongated support of insulating material having an aperture and electric conductors of flat stock on opposite sides of said support, one of "aid conductors having a cone-shaped projection extending into the said aperture.

10. A sparlcgap mechanism comprising a support having an aperture, electrical conductors on opposite sides of said support and across the aperture, each of said conductors having a cone-shaped projection extending into said aperture and means for electrically insulating said conductors from each other.

11. A spark-gap mechanism comprising a support having an aperture, a metallic disk at each end of the aperture, said disks having portions opposite each other in sparking relation, electric conductors engaging said disk, the disk and its conductor on one side being electrically insulated from the disk and its conductor on the opposite side.

12-. A spark-gap mechanism comprising a support having an aperture, a metallic disk at each end of said aperture. a spark point on one of said disks and electric conductors engaging said disks, the disk and its conductor on one side being electricall insulated from the disk and ts conductor on the opposite side.

13. A spark-gap mechanism comprising a support of insulating material ha ing an aperture, a metallic disk at each end of said aperture, a spark point on one of said disks and electric conductors engaging said disks.

1%. r spark-gap mechanism comprising a support of insulating material having an aperture, a metallic disk seated in each end of said aperture, a spark point on oneof said disks and electric conductors engaging said disks.

15. A spark-gap mechanism comprising a support of insulating material having an aperture, a metallic disk at each end of said aperture, a spark point on one of said disks and means for holding said disks in said aperture and making electrical contact therewith.

16. A sparlegap mechanism comprising a support of insulating material having an aperture, a metallic disk at each end of said aperture, a spark point on one of said disks and an electric conductor to hold each disk in position and carry current thereto.

17. A sparlcgap mechanism comprising a support of insulating material having an aperture, a metallic disk at each end of metal having a high resistance against deterioration by sparking, a spark point on one of said disks and an electric conductor to hold each disk in position and carry current thereto.

18. A spark-gap mechanism comprising a, support of insulating material having an aperture, a metallic disk at each end of metal having a high resistance against deterioration by sparking, a spark point on each disk, and an electric conductor to hold each disk in position and carrying current thereto.

19. A spark-gap mechanism comprising a support of insulating material hav ng an aperture, conductors of fiat stock on oppcsite sides of said suppert across the aperture and extending in different directions, a spark point. on each cenductor projecting into the said aperture and means on each conductor for milking an electrical cennection to an electrical device.

20. A spark-gap mechanism comprising a support of insulating nnrtei'iul having an apertuie, conductors of fiat stock on opposite sides of said support and extentlin in cliti'erentdirections, one end of each censustor terminating in a disk adapted tc close the aperture unkl carrying a spark point projecting into said aperture and the other end of each conductor affording; means for electrical cennection to an electrical device.

21. A "spark-gun mechanism cumprisin a support of insulating nwteriul having an aperture, a metallic disk as. ved in each end (if said upertv e mctullie spitj means on opposite sifics. said, supper-t and extending in different .1 ectiens each sf said spring means acting at one end upon one of said disks to retain it in place and means at the other end thereof for uti ording an electric connectien to an electrical device In testimuny whereof, I my signature.

CHARLES J. REED. 

